Fevers Are Never Fun
by Selene Illusinia
Summary: Ward gets sick and Skye takes care of him with some medical advice from Trip and Simmons. Also featuring puppies and dogs. Sequel to Dog Naps


**So this is the requested sequel to Dog Naps. I had more than one request for a sequel discussing the dogs/Skye taking care of Ward when he was sick. Hopefully, you guys enjoy this one.**

**-Illusinia**

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Heat enveloped Skye as she slowly came to, making her wince and try to move away from the source. God it was hot, had the air blown again? For a freaking secret base with high grade spy gadgets, they sure had a lot of issues with the a/c unit. It took her sleep-addled brain a moment to realize if the air was broken again, the whole room would be hot and there wouldn't be one point, specifically in her bed, that was causing her so much discomfort.

Curious, Skye pushed herself up onto her elbows, wondering if Bud had crawled up between her and Ward again. The big, golden lab had done that more than once, after all. Ward let him too. He was almost a bigger cuddler than Wand, and Ward always curled himself around her at night. Ever since the first night she'd woken him from a nightmare on the couch and let him come sleep in her bed.

But no, tonight Bud had apparently decided to abandon their bed in favor of the floor because she spotted him sleeping by the door like the guard dog he pretended to be. Turning, she glanced back behind her to find Ward curled into the blankets and tossing about like he was in the throes of a nightmare. Sweat beaded his brow and his breathing was more ragged than normal.

Without thought, Skye reached out to touch his bare shoulder and immediately recoiled in shock. He was burning up, his skin like hot coals. Pressing the back of her hand to his forehead like she'd seen other people do, she tried to judge how high is fever was but all she could ascertain was that it was higher than normal. She needed to get him something to reduce the fever.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed, tugging her back against a burning hot chest. Ward buried his face against her throat as he held onto her, whimpering. "Skye. Don't go."

It wasn't Ward's strong voice that spoke the words; it was the voice of a scared child. The voice of a someone who was in pain and didn't know what to do. Her heart broke at his tone and she was reminded, yet again, that he'd likely never had anyone to take care of him. Never had anyone to bring down his fevers as a child or hold him when he felt bad. At least she'd had the nuns.

"I'll be right back, Grant," murmured Skye softly, her fingers carding gently through his hair. She turned her head slightly to press a kiss to his temple, her lips meeting feverish skin. "You need something for your fever. I'll be back in five minutes, maybe less. Alright?"

Ward whimpered unhappily but released her all the same. His lips pressed against the base of her throat before he lay back down with a quiet groan, curling into a tight ball on the bed. "Only five minutes?"

"Only five minutes," assured Skye, turning to kiss his forehead softly. "I'll be back as quickly as I can with something to make you feel better." Turning to look at Bud, she let out a low whistle and pat the bed where she'd been a moment before. "Bud, come up."

Bud didn't hesitate to pad over and jump up on the bed beside Ward. He dropped down onto the bed where Skye had been laying, nuzzling Ward's chin with a whimper. A smile tugged slightly at Ward's lips, his arms wrapping around Bud before he snuggled down a little. "Thanks. Hurry back."

"I will," agreed Skye, pushing away from the bed and tugging on a robe. She didn't want to take the time to get dressed; the others could deal. It wasn't like she really cared anyway.

Heading into the hall, she hurried down to the medical wing and hoped that Simmons was up. She'd swing by the bathroom and get a cool towel too, on her way back. It would help relieve some of his discomfort and hopefully siphon off some of the heat. It was what she'd done the few times she had a fever when living in her van. Painkillers that could bring down a fever were expensive and you could find a public fountain with cold water almost anywhere. It didn't really help bring down the fever, but it made it less uncomfortable.

"Fitz, careful!" Simmons admonishing voice echoed into the hallway from the kitchen as Skye was passing, drawing her attention. Good, Simmons was up. The biochemist would know a better way to bring Ward's fever down. Skye just wanted to avoid anything with a needle; Ward was pretty clearly out of it and waving needles around him sounded like a good way for someone to get hurt.

Looking into the kitchen, Skye spotted Simmons and Fitz immediately. Simmons was sitting at the counter, staring worriedly at Fitz as he reached for the tea kettle set between them. Her brow was drawn into a sharp furrow and her lips were set in a marked frown as she watched the engineer work. Though his hands weren't the problem, Fitz's legs could be glitchy, which could make him doing something like reaching across a counter precarious if he overbalanced. And based on the way he was reaching, he had to be using some of the power in his legs to boost himself up. She glanced around half expecting to see Zena looking worriedly up at him. And sure enough, the black Labrador stood by his seat, whimpering as she watched him move around.

Zena, the other adult dog they'd found, was basically Fitz's. Her name (Fitz's choice) supposedly came from the way she had taken to guarding him like a hawk within 30 minutes of meeting him. Skye still thought the show Zena had something to do with it. The lab's clear affection for Fitz had led to the engineer basically adopting her as his own guard, which Ward had been more than willing to allow. It was rare to see Fitz without Zena now except in the mornings, mostly because Trip took her out for a run. Otherwise? Zena was attached to Fitz at the hip and it had proved a good thing the first time Fitz tried to walk when no one was around and fell. Zena's barking had brought everyone running, allowing them to get him back in his chair without him having to risk more serious injury by falling again while he was trying to stand back up.

Since that first time though, Zena had a habit of whimpering or expressing through some other noise her displeasure whenever Fitz did something she thought would lead to him getting hurt. Like reaching across the counter for a teapot. Skye remained quiet as she watched Fitz snag the kettle, not risking a word until he was safely settled back on his stool. The last thing she wanted to do was send him tumbling to the floor because she startled him.

"Hey Jem," stated Skye, leaning on the doorway. The scent of coffee was filling the kitchen, meaning Trip was probably up, too. It smelled heavenly, but she'd promised Ward she'd be back in five and that didn't mean she had time for coffee. "Can you give me a hand? I need something to take down a fever."

Immediately, Simmons' brow furrowed as her eyes met Skye. "Are you sick?"

"No," assured Skye quickly, shaking her head. "Ward is. He's burning up."

"I should take a look at him," stated Simmons firmly, immediately going into doctor mode. It was sweet, the way she was so protective of them when they were sick. She stood without a second thought, pushing aside her tea. "Where is he?"

"Bed," replied Skye. "My bed. But he needs something to take the fever down and I don't want to use needles. He's out of it and might flip."

"Alright," agreed Simmons. "Stress won't do him any good, anyway. I'm going to snag some things from my lab, then I'll pop in and take a look at him."

"Thanks Jem," agreed Skye, grabbing a dish towel and a bowl. If Simmons was going to bring the fever reducers, Skye could at least grab a bowl of cool water. Turning on the facet, she let the bowl fill as she looked towards the fridge. "Do we have any cold water bottles? The temperature might help."

"Right here," confirmed Fitz as he pushed himself off the stool he'd been sitting on. His legs wobbled a little as they took his weight and he clenched the island hard to keep from falling.

Like every time Fitz stood, Skye felt her whole body tense and she watched Zena nearly jump to her feet. The first few times he'd done this had resulted in him face planting into the floor. Once or twice had been pretty bad and the whole team always feared him standing on his own. But they allowed him to do it all the same, recognizing his need for that independence. As long as he had things to hold onto, they worried a little less. Especially with the lifting regiment he'd taken up with Ward.

Between the time that Ward would finish running around the base and the time Skye arrived to spar with her former SO, Fitz would come into the gym and lift weights with Ward. It had started as a way for Fitz to just gain enough strength that pushing himself longer distances wasn't exhausting but had turned into an actual re-bonding experience for both men. It made Ward feel a little better, too; once the brainwashing and conditioning put into place by Garrett had finally been broken (Ward insisted by Skye but she suspected there were a lot more factors there), guilt had settled in. It was a guilt that Ward still struggled under, even though Fitz and Simmons and the rest of the team had long ago forgiven him.

Taking a few shaky steps while gripping the island, Fitz edged his way to the refrigerator and gripped the door. He used the fridge handle to step forward and braced his hand on the counter to pull the door open. It swung outward and for a moment Skye feared Fitz would fall over. Jemma moved forward beside Skye automatically, ready to catch their friend if he were to stumble or fall. Zena whimpered unhappily, moving so her paws were on the counter and Fitz could brace himself against her body if necessary. But the engineer stabilized himself by shifting his grip to the island behind him and used both the door and counter to regain his balance.

Pulling out a bottle, he rolled it across the island to Skye. "There you go. The neck's a good spot to put somethin' cold during a fever."

"Thanks for the advice," thanked Skye, switching off the tap and tossing the towel onto her shoulder. She snagged the bottle from the counter with her free hand and turned towards the scientists. "I've gotta get back to him. See you in a bit, Jem."

"I'll be there in a few moments," confirmed Simmons, nodding at Skye reassuringly.

Skye nodded back and disappeared back down the hallway to her room. The last thing she wanted was Ward to panic and think she wasn't coming back or, possibly worse, come looking for her. He could probably stand on his own, but she didn't like the idea of him wondering around with a high fever. That just sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Re-entering her room, Skye found Ward was still passed out on the bed. The difference now was that Bud had wormed his way out of Ward's arms, which were now occupied by a pillow. Smiling at the dog, who was now laying in Skye's spot, she left the bedroom door open so he could escape if he wanted to and moved to tend to Ward.

Bud glanced at the open door wistfully, but remained curled up beside Ward all the same. He only moved aside when Skye sat on the edge of the bed, sitting up to lick her face once before he retreated to rest by Ward's feet. Loyalty incarnate, no wonder Ward liked dogs. She'd have to dig up the Air Bud movies for him later- they were his favorites. He'd tried to act unaffected when she showed him the first, but he'd tensed when the evil clown dude had tried to drag Buddy away from his happy family. Plus, she and the rest of the team caught him watching her pilfered copies of all the movies at midnight two days later. He'd looked so flustered and guilty, like he was doing something bad, it had been almost heart breaking. They would definitely do a marathon while he was sick.

"Grant," called Skye softly, trying to rouse the sleeping agent. Carefully, she set the bowl of cool water and the towel on the table by the bed in case Ward attempted to drag her down with him. He did that frequently and dousing them both with cold water sounded unpleasant. "Can you sit up a little?"

The specialist groaned and shifted in his half-asleep state, rolling towards Skye's voice. One of his arms released his fluffy captive to reach for her in an attempt to drag her back into bed, as she'd predicted. She gave him one of her hands in response, pressing the cool water bottle to his knuckles gently. He whimpered as the bottle touched his skin, pressing his hand against the cool plastic. "Cold."

"I know," assured Skye gently, one of her hands reaching out to push his hair off his forehead. "Can you sit up some?"

Ward nodded vaguely, his eyes sliding open to reveal glassy orbs of brown. He lifted his head a little, which allowed Skye to slide a hand beneath his upper back and coax him into a more propped-up position. This whole thing had her worried; what the hell had he caught? A harsh cough rumbled from his chest as he followed her guiding hand, causing his body to shake. She wasted no time in propping him up with the pillows she'd been sleeping on last night.

Once he was sort of sitting up and looked more settled, she uncapped the water bottle and held it to his lips. "Want some water?"

"Yeah," croaked Ward a little, nodding his head a bit as he did. For a second, he just blinked at the bottle before reaching out to take it with slightly shaking hands. Without thought, Skye kept her hand on the bottle as Ward pulled it towards him and took a drink. He released it a moment later, pushing it away as a shiver ran through his body. "It's cold."

"I know," assured Skye gently as she sat the bottle aside. One of her hands returned to his hair, pressing the strands back in gentle strokes as he settled down again. At the foot of the bed, Bud whimpered a little and lifted his head towards the door.

Skye glanced back as well, finding Simmons in the doorway with what looked like half the equipment from medical in her arms. Trip was behind her, looking sweaty and a little out of breath. He was dressed in his usual workout attire and a glance at the clock told Skye it was a lot later than she'd thought. Simmons must have grabbed him mid-workout and Skye was not going to turn down the help.

The other specialist let out a whistle as he spotted Ward, shaking his head a bit. "He looks bad, frozen-hell bad."

"Much worse than I thought," murmured Simmons, brow furrowing as she marched into the room with the same purposeful look that overcame her features whenever someone was injured. Skye shifted a little as the small biochemist approached, trying to give her access to Ward.

Unfortunately, Ward didn't want to cooperate. One of his arms wrapped around her waist as she tried to move away, pulling her back towards his chest with significantly less strength than he normally displayed. The whimper that escaped his throat didn't help either. "No, stay."

"I'm not going anywhere Grant," assured Skye softly, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to ease his mind. "But Jemma needs to look at you, alright? I'll be right here."

Glassy eyes blinked at her unhappily but he nodded and released her all the same. She was careful to keep hold of one of his hands as she moved aside for Simmons, squeezing softly to reassure him that she was still there. He squeezed back softly as his head rolled back to rest on the pillows completely. This listlessness was starting to scare her.

Simmons hummed unhappily as she settled into Skye's old spot, dropping the medical equipment on the table beside the bed. About half of it would have landed on the ground if Trip hadn't shot forward and caught the tumbling, likely fragile, medical supplies. Simmons never noticed. Pulling the usual stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and other standard medical equipment from the pile without a second glance, she set to work.

For several long minutes as Simmons poked and prodded at him, Skye simply sat holding his hand. He'd make an unhappy noise now and then, but otherwise didn't object to his treatment at Simmon's hand. All Skye knew was it looked uncomfortable.

"Well, it appears he caught enfluenza," stated Simmons with a sigh and shake of her head, stepping away and tossing the equipment she'd been using back on the pile. "Nothing immediately life threatening but certainly something to keep an eye on."

"Uh, that's the flu, right?" asked Skye wearily. She was almost positive that was the name for the flu, but with Simmons it was better to ask sometimes. Every once in a while the scientist forgot they didn't all speak biology.

"Yes, that's the flu," confirmed Simmons, her voice a touch exasperated. "His fever will need to be monitored, but some fever reducers should knock it down a few pegs." Simmons fished a bottle from the pile of medical equipment, offering it to Skye. "He needs to take two of them now, to bring the fever under control."

"How high is it?" asked Skye s she took the pill bottle from Simmons and knocked two into her hand.

"103.5," replied Simmons, making a face. "As I said, it needs to come down. We will have to take him to medical if it doesn't. Honestly, I would rather we take him to medical and give him an IV at minimum."

"Yeah, I got that Jemma," stated Skye before focusing on Ward. Her hand brushed the hair away from his forehead, drawing his attention to her. She needed to find a way to get him to take the pills, preferably without giving any kind of order. He was so good about making his own decisions now she normally wouldn't worry, but this fever was messing with his head and the last thing she wanted was to reverse any of his progress. "Ward, I have something here that will make you feel better, okay? Do you think you can take it?"

He blinked at her slowly, then glanced down at her hand. "It'll make me feel better?"

"Yes," assured Skye gently. The hand in his hair slid to cradle the back of his head, coaxing him to sit up a little more. "Do you want to take it?"

Ward nodded, pressing his head back against her hand as he did. Carefully, Skye passed him the pills, waiting until he'd put them in his mouth to hand him the water. His fingers were still shaking but he downed about half the bottle before pushing it away. It was only Skye's grip that kept them both from getting wet.

"How long before they kick in?" asked Skye worriedly as she returned the bottle to it's place on the nightstand. Her fingers nabbed the wet towel after releasing the bottle, drawing the damp cloth carefully across the bed to wipe at Ward's face. He turned into her touch a little, even as he shivered from the cold water.

"Fast," assured Simmons. "Twenty minutes, tops. But, it may take longer for his fever to go down. The point is to stabilize and then lower his temperature. It may be a bit before it actually drops."

"Right," muttered Skye, setting the towel back in the cool water so it could soak for a minute. "Thanks Jemma."

"Any time," assured Simmons gently as she picked back up her armful of equipment and dropped it in Trip's general direction. He caught it all of course, though he made an unhappy noise in doing it. "I still think he should be in medical with an IV though."

Sighing, Skye glanced back at Simmons unhappily. "You don't sleep next to him almost every night. The way he thrashes around? He'd pull the IV out and probably hurt himself. And don't even suggest restraining him. That just sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen."

Simmons rolled her eyes a bit and muttered something that might have contained the word 'sedative' but otherwise made no other comments. Instead, she glanced once more at Ward before nodding to Skye. "Trip or I will be back later to check on him."

Trip nodded at them both, his brow furrowed in concern. "Which translates to 'I'll be back later to check on him'." It was a joke, clearly, but Simmons still swatted his arm, jostling the equipment he was holding. "Hey, hey, hey, watch it. I'm carrying your medical equipment here."

"You won't drop it," dismissed Simmons. "I'm certain you've balanced more delicate items in far more hostile situations."

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to accidentally dump your medical equipment all over the floor if you jostle me," argued Trip, though he was grinning as he spoke.

Simmons rolled her eyes, though the smile that tugged at her lips belied her amusement. "If you break it, I will make you replace it."

"You know I would anyway," assured Trip, grin softening a little into something more reassuring and caring. "I'll always get anything you need, no matter how far I have to go."

"Mm, I will remember that the next time I need something from the market," countered Simmons, though her own expression had softened some in response to his own look.

Shaking her head, Skye turned her attention back onto Ward. Simmons and Triplett had been doing this dance for so long, it was starting to give Skye a headache. They needed to just get to it already; it wasn't like they had all the time in the world or anything. Then again, she'd been saying the same thing about Fitz and Simmons since she met them and look where that had gone. The two scientists were closer than ever after the incident in the POD, but it was impossible to tell if they were actually _together_ or not. Their behavior wasn't exactly markedly different. Hell, if anything it felt like Fitz was spending more time with May and Trip now than before. Then again, they were responsible for his physical therapy.

A whimper from Bud drew Skye's attention to the large dog and she realized, not for the first time, that he hadn't left the room since waking up. Someone needed to take him outside. A glance at Ward though made her reluctant to leave him. "Hey Trip?"

The specialist glanced away from Simmons the moment Skye spoke up, the adoring look on his face disappearing to be replaced by a far more worried one. "What's up, Miss Hactivist?"

"Can you take Bud out?" requested Skye, offering him a pleading look. "I don't really want to leave Grant alone at the moment."

"Not a problem," assured Trip easily, shifting the medical equipment as he let out a low, sharp whistle. "Bud, c'mon. Let's go outside."

Immediately, Bud's ears went up, though they fell again as he glanced back at Ward. With the hand Ward wasn't holding, Skye reached back to scratch at his head in hopes of soothing him. He relaxed on slightly, still giving her literal puppy eyes at the suggestion he should leave.

"He'll be alright, Bud. I'm staying here," encouraged Skye gently, even though she knew the dog couldn't understand. "Go with Trip." Commands like 'go' were ones they had worked hard to teach Bud and she knew he knew what she wanted him to do. She also knew he knew who Trip was, he just didn't want to go with the other specialist.

Bud continued to stare at her for a moment before lowering his ears and hopping off the bed with his head lowered in submission. He'd get over it as soon as he was outside running with Zena. It had taken months before Trip and Ward had managed to get both adult dogs to leave the puppies alone with the rest of the team. Until then, one of the adult dogs had always refused to leave when the other did and had gone so far as to hide under beds and even under Coulson's desk to avoid leaving. It had actually been pretty funny when AC had walked in looking a little less than put together, wondering why he'd accidentally stepped on a dog when he sat at his desk.

Watching Bud pad out of the room with Trip and Simmons, Skye forced some of the anxiety she was feeling away. When one of Simmon's hands slid over to rest on Trip's arm unabashedly just before they turned out of sight, a grin broke across Skye's face. Okay, maybe those two weren't as hopeless as she thought.

One of Ward's hands slipped around her waist where she sat, drawing her attention back to the sick man beside her. Glassy eyes stared up at her dazedly even as he drew her down to lay next to him. "Stay?"

"I'm staying," assured Skye gently, rolling over so she was facing Ward. She shifted around for a moment until her body was propped higher than Ward's and his head was resting against her chest. He curled close to her once she stopped moving, throwing one of his legs over hers and wrapping both arms around her waist. Something that might have been 'mine' was uttered, but Skye dismissed it. Anything he said while this out of it didn't count.

Sighing, she wiped at his face with the damp towel before draping it over the back of his neck. He shivered a bit when the wet fabric touched his skin, but relaxed after a moment. In minutes, his breath had evened out as he slipped into sleep draped over her body like he was every night. Relaxing herself, she removed the towel from his neck and let her eyes droop closed. A few more hours of sleep sounded pretty good at the moment.

"Skye? Skye, wake up."

The sound of someone calling her name forcefully dragged Skye towards wakefulness. Blinking her eyes, she found Trip leaning over her, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Coulson needs you ASAP. Said something about a possible Hydra scientist stronghold and some dangerous tech."

"Ugh," groaned Skye, glancing back at Ward. He was curled into a ball, fast asleep. One of his arms was still curled around her waist possessively, even in sleep, and the way his brow was relaxed said his sleep wasn't haunted by the dark memories of his past. Then again, that was what brought him to her bed in the first place: a reprieve from the darkness of his own head. "Can't it wait?"

"Didn't sound like it," sighed Trip, glancing over at Ward. "He'll be alright, Skye. I'm gonna check his fever now to make sure it's dropping and we'll all keep an eye on him. If something happens, one of us will come get you."

"Thanks," sighed Skye, carefully shifting to move out of Ward's grasp. He made an unhappy noise in his throat and rolled to face the wall, taking the pillow she'd been sleeping on with him. Rolling out of bed, she stood then turned to glance back at Ward. "Can you check his fever now? I've gotta change before catching up with AC."

"No problem," confirmed Trip, pulling out a thermometer and waving it slightly in his hand. "Go get dressed, I'll take care of him."

"Thanks," repeated Skye, grabbing the first set of clothes she could find and heading for the bathroom. Five minutes later, she was back and mostly dressed. Shoes were kind of optional in her mind. AC would probably complain, but she really didn't care right now either.

Trip was standing by the bed, waiting patiently for her and rolling the thermometer in his hands. He glanced up as she entered the room, wiggling the thermometer as she came around to the bed to check on Ward. He felt cooler when she pressed her hand to his neck, which was a relief in and of itself. Idly, she picked up the wet towel and wiped it over his brow and neck carefully. Right now, he needed to sleep.

"How is he?" she asked without ever glancing at Trip. Her eyes remained locked on Ward where he had fallen back asleep.

"Fever's dropping," confirmed Trip, pulling a face. "It's still kind of high, but not as bad as it was before. Like I said, Simmons and I will keep an eye on him."

"Make sure she doesn't move him down to the lab," insisted Skye, glancing back at the specialist. She knew her concern was nowhere near contained, but she really didn't care either. There wasn't exactly a reason to hide it, after all.

"I'll keep him right here," assured Trip gently. "We don't need to give Francis and John a reason to be upset. They already get anxious whenever Jemma seems even remotely frustrated." His hand landed on Skye's shoulder, drawing her away from Ward. "Now go see what Coulson's going on about. Ward's the sick one, not you, and you probably shouldn't spend all day curled up in the room with him to boot. You'll catch this too if you aren't careful."

"I sleep next to him every night, Trip," reminded Skye before dropping a quick kiss to Ward's temple. "Trust me, I'm already pretty much exposed."

"True," sighed Trip. "I'm gonna grab a shower and bring Bud back in to stay with Ward. Hopefully that will help keep him calm."

"Second best thing to having me there," confirmed Skye as she forced herself to stand from the bed and walk out of the room. "Ward's words, not mine."

"I figured," chuckled Trip. He made a shooing motion with his hand, indicating she should hurry up and go see what Coulson wanted. "Now go before we get the boss man down here looking for you. He doesn't exactly like the fact you and Ward share a room. It's why he has a separate room still listed to Ward."

"On my way," assured Skye, waving a little to Trip. "Make sure you bring Bud back."

"First thing I'm doing," confirmed Trip. "Now go help Coulson and let us take care of Ward."

"I'm going!" repeated Skye with a faint smile. Leaving Ward alone right now still wasn't something she wanted to do, but missions came first and Coulson would have her head if she didn't show. Well, not really; she could pretty much talk him out of anything at this point. But he would be ticked and she'd end up getting the disappointed father look he pulled out on occasion. It was enough to make her double her pace as she headed for his office.

It took three hours before she finished doing everything AC needed. Well, before he was satisfied with her progress. He wasn't actively trying to keep her away from Ward, she knew that. But they had to keep working, even when someone was sick. Plus, the rest of the team was helping watch out for him. So she'd done what needed to be done as fast as she could and bolted from the room without argument from AC.

As soon as her room came into view, she began to relax. Just knowing she could check on Ward herself in a few minutes helped ease her nerves. However, when she opened the door to her room, she was met with a both disappointing and worrying sight.

Ward was gone.

_Shit. Please, please tell me Jemma didn't move him to medical._ No, she couldn't have. Trip would have come to get her if they moved him. If they moved him, then Ward would have gotten worse. Besides, it was the flu. Yeah, it was dangerous, but Ward had survived worse. This wasn't going to take him down.

Still, it was Simmons. She might have rationalized moving him and gone looking for Skye to tell her. It would be best to check medical before she started to get really upset. After all, no one was going to let Ward actually _leave_ the base in his condition- he had to be somewhere around here.

Heading for medical, she did a quick check to confirm that he wasn't in the bathroom before preparing for a fight with Simmons. Even if Ward _was_ in medical right now, she wasn't letting Simmons hold him prisoner there. She remembered _that_ all too well from her own gunshot incident. Arguing with the biochemist could be like wrestling a bear when she was determined to have her way. Taking a deep breath, Skye mentally opened the door, fully expecting to find Ward inside, hooked up to a bunch of machines and possibly sedated.

Two furry heads rose as Skye stepped into the space, but Simmons never looked away from her microscope. Apparently whatever she was doing was more interesting than a visit from Skye. A sentiment not shared by the two puppies who had taken up near-permanent residence with Simmons. Francis Crick and John Watson (better known as the DNA Duo) bound to their feet as soon as she stepped inside, nearly bowling Skye over in their enthusiasm to greet her.

When Simmons had commandeered two of the puppies 'in the name of science', it had scared everyone. What Simmons wanted with a pair of puppies, no one had been sure. And especially with the mystery still surrounding the cat Fitz seemed unable to forget, the concern seemed valid. That was, until they realized she just wanted the company. In fact, the first day that Simmons took them, Skye spent the entire day watching the lab on the base's security system. Simmons spent nearly the entire day examining something under a microscope while holding either Francis or James in her lap. The one who wasn't on her lap had been nestled into a big pillow chewing on what looked like an old sock, content to just watch everything. It was peaceful- far more so than a lab with two puppies in it should have been. But somehow, Simmons had managed to find the two calmest dogs in the group to claim as her lab-partners. She'd even managed to find puppy-sized goggles and lab coats for the two. Of course both articles lasted five minutes on the dogs, max, but the five minutes had been filled with photos, so there was plenty of evidence. The goggles and lab coats were actually still stored in the lab, just in case Simmons ever got it in her head to dress the two dogs up again.

Pushing the now big-puppies down, Skye knelt to scratch at their heads in greeting before scanning the room for some sign of Ward. Her worry only intensified as she realized he wasn't anywhere in the lab. If he wasn't there, then Simmons hadn't taken him. But then where could he be?

"Skye?" questioned Simmons, drawing Skye's attention. The biochemist was blinking at Skye over her shoulder as she finally seemed to realize the hacker was there. Her brow tightened as she spoke, hopping off her stool. Almost immediately, Francis and John spun around to bounce around her feet happily, oblivious to the concern painted on their owner's face. "What's wrong? Is Ward alright?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Skye. "He wasn't in my room when I came back. I thought maybe you'd brought him down here."

"No," denied Simmons immediately, shaking her head firmly as one of her hands landed on John's head when the puppy jumped up against her leg. "I said I wouldn't." Her mouth pursed a little as she moved towards the lab's doors. "We should find him, now."

"It's alright," assured Skye quickly, reaching out to block Simmons' forward motion. "I've got it, Jemma. I'm sure he's just somewhere in the base. He probably woke up feeling better and went to the kitchen or something. This was just the first place I thought of."

Simmons didn't relax in the least, despite Skye's words. She did, however, stop trying to force her way out of the lab. That was better for Ward in the end; if Simmons was the one to find him and he wasn't feeling better, he'd be stuck in Medical until he was completely well and probably a few days past that. Which really wasn't good for Ward; Simmons got bossy in her lab and it wasn't hard for her to forget the 'no giving orders' rule when it came to medical issues. "Alright. Let me know when you find him, though." Which in Simmons speak meant 'find him quickly or I'm going to start looking myself and then I'm not letting him out of my sight'.

"Will do," agreed Skye before she nearly bolted from the lab.

Great. If she knew Simmons, she'd probably start looking for Ward in 15 minutes if Skye wasn't back. If she ran into Trip, she'd definitely send the specialist to go distract the scientist until she could find Ward. Sadly, she had no time to look for Trip, not if she wanted to find Ward quickly. Running through the list of places he could have gone though, it was really too long. She needed to scan the whole base at once. Without much thought, Skye pulled out her phone and brought up the base's internal security cameras. Thank god she'd had the foresight to link her phone into that system; it would take too long to reach the security center and check the monitors there.

Pausing in the hall, Skye began to rapidly cycle through the cameras for any sign of Ward. The entire base was nearly covered in cameras; if he was still inside, he'd show up on one of them. Well, unless he stumbled back to her room or his own. Why he'd go back to the room assigned to him when he'd been sleeping in her room for the past year, she had no clue. Then again, who knew what someone delirious under the effects of a fever would do.

It took five minutes to move through the cameras for all the living quarter rooms, the gym, and the shooting range. Nothing. No sign of Ward anywhere.

Panic began to grip Skye. What if he had left the base and was wondering around outside somewhere? They might not find him if he'd done that. But why would he leave? There was no reason for him to leave the base, right?

She was about to switch to the outside cameras to see if there was any sign someone had been around the edge of the base when something caught her eye flying across the hanger camera. Bud bolted by a moment later, ducking under the wing of the Bus as he chased something. The dog hadn't been in their room and Trip would have brought Bud back hours ago, likely around the time he'd come to check on Ward. Most likely, Bud had only not been with Trip because he was eating with the other dogs at that moment. But he would have gone back to their room long before now in search of Ward. So if Bud was in the hanger...

Skye nearly ran into a wall in her rush to reach the hanger, eyes only briefly leaving the screen to make sure she didn't hit something. Ward had to be feeling better if he was playing ball with Bud in the hanger. He didn't look like he could even stand that morning, so if he was walking around he had to be feeling better.

Reaching the hanger, she carefully pushed the door open and stepped into the oddly darkened space. Apparently, Ward hadn't wanted to turn on the lights. It was weird, but she could deal with it. He might have a headache or something after all.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark, but once they did she could make out the outline of her tall SO just fine. He was leaning on some crates near the back, body bent in what looked like exhaustion as he tossed the ball across the hanger. Bud bolted after it happily and for a moment a smile tugged at Skye's lips.

Then Bud brought the ball back.

"Good boy, Buddy," applauded Ward weakly, sliding to the floor to ruffle the dog's fur. Bud just lolled his tongue out happily and refused to be phased by the fact that he wasn't even being called by the right name. "Ready to go hunting? Ready to bring back dinner? Garrett'll be back soon, so we gotta go catch something."

Skye's stomach twisted into painful knots, bile rising in her throat. He was still delirious and worse, he thought Garrett was still alive. That the horrible man who'd done unspeakable things in the name of 'training' his protege was coming back to judge him and that he had to go out _hunting_ even though he felt like crap. It was beyond heart-breaking; it crossed into the realm of stomach churning cruelty. Just the thought of Ward thinking he was back in that place with Garrett made her shutter. And there was no way she was letting him leave the base.

"Grant?" She kept her voice soft as she approached, not wanting to startle him. Even sick, Ward was dangerous. She'd seen him take down five men with a bullet lodged in his leg, barely able to stand. Okay, yeah, he'd claimed her being there had driven that, but she still wasn't going to risk him hurting her or himself. She'd call Trip in for back-up first.

His head shot in her direction as soon as she spoke, his body tumbling over in surprise. Confusion crossed his face momentarily, followed by recognition a second later. "Skye? What're you doing here?"

"I was looking for you," stated Skye simply, offering him a hand up. "You weren't in our room when I finished with Coulson."

"I was playing with Bud," replied Ward, patting the dogs head gently. Apparently, whatever momentary laps in memory he had suffered from before had been broken. Good. Just the thought that Garrett still crossed Ward's mind made her stomach churn. It spoke to how deeply engrained that man's orders had been in Ward's head that he still thought of the man to this day, even if it was only when he was sick.

Smiling softly at Ward, Skye dropped her hand and knelt down across from him. "I saw, but you're sick and shouldn't be out here."

A sad look crossed his face, lips dropping and eyes turning sad. It was the face he got every time he was disappointed in himself or thought someone else was disappointed in him. Though she saw it a lot less now, that look still graced his face on occasion. Every time was like a punch to the gut.

Shit. She'd let her worry overwhelm her. Ward might be more accustomed to making his own decisions now, but they had to be careful not to give him orders or do anything to make him feel like he'd somehow done something wrong in making a choice. Otherwise he'd fall back into his old habits of following everyone else's lead. The only place this wasn't a problem was the field because, well, it had never been a problem in the field- it was the only place Ward ever felt comfortable having power over others and himself. Sadly, that same attitude was still too delicate _out_ of the field and he'd started to slip back a few times already.

Knowing backtracking wouldn't work, all she could do was distract him- give him back the power he needed to have. Carefully taking his hands in her own, Skye tugged Ward up to his feet. He followed without protest and she wrapped one of his arms over her shoulders to steady him. "What do you want to do, Grant? Besides play in a drafty hanger with Bud."

For a long moment, Ward didn't respond. Skye didn't let that phase her of course; she was used to him falling silent at random. It just happened, especially when someone asked him what he wanted to do. Finally though, he glanced over at her with an uncertain look, then glanced down at Bud. "Can we watch Air Bud? The three of us?"

Skye felt a grin break across her face. She'd apparently made the right call earlier about Ward wanting to watch Air Bud while he was sick. "Of course, whatever you want as long as it won't make you sicker. Jemma will kill me if you get worse."

"She won't kill you," protested Ward, a frown tugging his lips down. "I wouldn't let her touch you, no matter how sick I got."

Okay, obviously the fever was still screwing with his head if he thought she was being even remotely serious. It was still adorable though, so she let it slide. "I know, Grant."

Dropping a quick kiss on his cheek, she lead him back into the hall and towards the community rec room with the big TV and her copies of Air Bud stashed away in the cabinet. She was more than happy to have a marathon of the movies, so long as Ward was happy too. Besides, it contained adorable dogs, even if the movies were about sports. And who could complain about adorable dogs?

"Air Bud, huh?" Trip's quiet voice startled Skye from her near sleep and the only thing that stopped her from shooting up off the couch was her former SO's bulky frame pinning her to the sofa. Ward had gradually started to fall asleep as the movie played until he finally ended up with his head on Skye' lap and his legs thrown over the other end of the couch. Currently, his face was pressing into her thighs with one of his arms curled around his knees like her lap was a teddy bear. Bud was laying on the floor along the couch, also happily asleep.

Well, until Gabe suddenly jumped on him. She watched in mild amusement as the dog shot up, much as she nearly had, at the puppy's presence. The look Bud sent his (presumed) son clearly said he didn't find the situation funny. Gabe's flopping tongue and big puppy grin said he thought otherwise.

"Like master, like dog," muttered Skye, shaking her head as she looked back up at Trip. She was careful to keep her voice down as she spoke, not wanting to wake Ward. Tipping her head back to look at the other specialist, Skye cocked an eyebrow in question at the taller man. "So is there a reason you're trying to get me to dump my boyfriend on the floor?"

"From that angle, it wouldn't work," informed Trip with a grin. His head tilted as he nodded down at Ward. "How's he doing?"

"Better," informed Skye quietly. "I think his fever's still down but we might want to check."

"Which is exactly what I'm here for," confirmed Trip, eying Ward wearily. "I don't wanna wake him up, though; it's better if he sleeps. So, I'm leaving this with you." He wiggled the thermometer as he spoke, just before he set it down on the table. "Check his fever once he wakes up and if it's over 102, call Jemma. She's got the fever reducers in the lab."

"Right," yawned Skye as she glanced back at the TV. "Will do."

For a moment, neither spoke as the evil clown dude forcefully pulled Buddy, the dog, into his van. Then Trip let out a confused sound and shook his head. "How many times have you seen this movie by now?"

"I don't know," admitted Skye with a shrug and a glance back at her friend. "Eight times? Maybe ten?"

Again, the specialist shook his head. "How can you keep watching it again and again?"

"Ward loves it," stated Skye simply, offering him a helpless look before she glanced back at the TV. "It makes him happy and he deserves that. Besides, he's probably seen this movie twenty times by now. I catch him mouthing Josh's lines sometimes."

"Which one's Josh again?" asked Trip quietly, eyes locked on the screen once more. Skye tried to hide her smirk; no one could resist a movie about dogs playing sports. No one.

"The little boy who adopted Buddy," replied Skye quietly. In her lap, Ward shifted his head a little, pressing his cheek harder against her leg.

Without thought, Skye slid a hand into his hair and began to stroke the soft strands. Whatever had been bothering him in his sleep stopped almost immediately, his body relaxing against hers to her great relief. More often than not, whatever subconscious horror was chasing him didn't cease just because she started stroking his hair.

"I still don't get why he loves this movie so much," muttered Trip, shaking his head. "After what happened to his Buddy, I'd think this would be the last movie he'd want to watch."

"I think he likes it because it gives him some sense of hope," explained Skye quietly. "For a little while, he can pretend that the dog in the movie _is_ his Buddy. He can pretend maybe that Buddy got away after all and someone adopted him. He's never said he saw Buddy go down, just that he heard a shot ring out and then Garrett called him weak for months."

"So, you think he pretends Buddy didn't die?" questioned Trip quietly, his brow furrowing in confusion. "That doesn't make sense. The man is a walking, talking reality machine."

Skye just shrugged a little. "Everyone needs to pretend sometimes."

"Right," muttered Trip with a sigh, glancing over the edge of the couch. Bud had somehow gotten Gabe to calm down, likely through the paw that looked like it was currently holding the puppy firmly against the ground. Gabe had quieted though, eyes on the TV as Buddy scooted around the back of the truck unsteadily in his attempts to get free. "Well, Gabe seems into it."

"I think Bud's just started ignoring it by now," admitted Skye. "He always stays when we watch the movie, but he's usually asleep before the first basketball game."

"Geez, even are dogs aren't normal," muttered Trip, shaking his head in disbelief. "Mind if I leave Gabe here?"

"Why would I ca-" Skye's question was cut off as Ward shifted in her lap again and began speaking.

"Go Buddy, go," the words were muttered and for a moment is sounded like he was talking about his own dog, warning him away from the danger that Garrett posed. Then she heard the echo of those words on the TV and realized Ward was just doing exactly what she'd heard him do before- echo Josh's lines from the movie.

Behind her, Trip grunted a little in surprise. "Wow, he really does know this movie by heart."

"Even in his sleep," chuckled Skye, shaking her head a bit and shifting her hand to rub gently at Ward's neck. "It's alright if Gabe stays. I'm sure Bud would love the company."

"If Gabe doesn't drive him up a wall first," agreed Trip with a grin. "He's got a lot of energy for such a little guy."

"I'm pretty sure Jemma stole the only calm puppies," agreed Skye, shaking her head a bit.

Just then, another ball of fur bolted into the room, attempting to skid around the couch but crashing into the TV cabinet instead. For a moment, he lay there dazed as he glanced at all the other people in the room. Then he got up, shook his head, and bolted straight for Gabe and Bud. Bud moved quickly out of the way, shooting up and backing away in just enough time to avoid being jumped on again. Gabe wasn't so lucky and took the full brunt of his brother's jump attack.

"Steven Grant Rogers!" Coulson's loud shout cut through the room as both Skye and Trip glanced towards the door where the shout came from. Only Coulson would give a dog a three part name and every time he used the full thing, which Stevie always responded too, it made her want to laugh.

However, Skye's eyes were quickly drawn elsewhere as Ward suddenly shot up from where he'd been sleeping on the couch and rolled onto the floor. His eyes were wide, startled and scared as he scurried backwards across the floor of the rec room, curling into a terrified ball in the corner. It only took Skye half a second to figure out what had happened and then she was up off the couch, slowly approaching the cowering giant of a man.

"Grant." She was careful to keep her voice quiet and even as she approached him, and for a moment his eyes locked on her and she thought he might calm down easily. Then the sound of someone storming into the room sent him back to cowering, his body curling tightly into a ball in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. Her heart shattered for the second time that day as she watched him relive part of the torture and horror that had been so much of his life.

Turning on Coulson, she kept her back to Ward and hid as much of him from view as possible. It would keep him from seeing Coulson and that alone would help calm him down. Coulson's temper had gotten significantly shorter since he took over being director and, well he was usually very careful, every once in a while he forgot not to shout Grant's first name in anger. Though, in this case, she wasn't sure he'd actually _thought_ what he was saying through. Not that she would have thought about it either. The rule was more 'don't yell at Grant' not 'don't yell Grant's name even if you aren't talking to him'. Of course, if Grant was awake and not feverish when he heard the shouting, he wouldn't be freaking out either.

Focusing back on Coulson, Skye actual felt her own unease kick in. He looked...pretty mad actually. In one hand he held the shredded remains of his favorite tie and in the other was one of his shoes, now thoroughly destroyed by obvious chewing. Okay, yeah, that would probably piss her off, too.

Stevie, for his part, had jumped off his brother and proceeded to try to hide beneath his father for protection. It was actually pretty laughable. Though the puppies were no where near full grown, they were still too big to hide under their parents anymore. This meant that Stevie ended up laying perpendicular, under his father's stomach, with his whole body flattened to the floor in despair. There wasn't any fear, just the pleading look dogs always gave their owners whenever they were angry.

"Steven," repeated Coulson, his voice turning from angry to disappointed and that _did_ make Skye cringe. Coulson's disappointed voice was the worst thing ever; worse than the nuns had ever been- and they could make you feel guilty with a look. His eyes locked on the dog where he was trying to hide and Coulson held out both destroyed objects in disappointment. "We-"

"AC." Skye broke in before Coulson's voice could rise again and worsen Ward's anxious state.

His eyes turned to her immediately, loosing their anger rapidly as he took in Skye's protective stance. Then his eyes fell to her legs and he must have caught some glimpse of Ward because she watched him pale and silently swear. Immediately, he set both objects on the coffee table and turned his full attention back on her. "What do I need to do."

"Leave," stated Skye simply. Coulson's frown deepened but he didn't argue, turning and leaving the room almost immediately. Everyone knew she would protect Ward from anyone and anything that sent him into one of these states. They also knew she was about the only person who could calm him down when he got like this.

Beside the couch, Trip didn't move to follow Coulson out or move forwards towards her. He just remained a reasonable distance back and stood, waiting in silence. Skye didn't care if Trip stayed; the man wasn't going to get angry with Ward. He wasn't the one who'd come in shouting Grant's name, eve if it was inadvertently.

Turning back to Ward, Skye carefully knelt in front of him but made no move to touch him. "Grant, it's alright, AC's gone. He wasn't made at you, he was made at Stevie."

It took a moment, but Ward's head gradually lifted and his eyes focused completely on Skye. As soon as the recognition set in, like before, his mood snapped back to normal. He was still shaking, but he didn't look as terrified as he had moments before. "Skye?"

"I'm here, Grant," she assured him gently, holding out her hand. She wanted to just pull him into a hug and hold onto him until he stopped shaking, but she knew better than to do that. It made his anxiety worse. He'd crawl into her arms sometimes though (mostly) after an anxiety attack like this. She just needed to give him the chance to do it himself. Sure enough, seconds later, he was reaching for her and then drawing her into his arms like she was some magic talisman he could use to chase away the shadows.

The first few times he'd done that, it had nearly sent _her_ into a panic. She wasn't as put together as she pretended to be and she sure as hell wasn't anyone's guardian. Even now, after almost two years, she still wasn't comfortable with the role he'd placed her in, but she could do it and that was what mattered. And really, he didn't expect her to do anything. He'd tried to explain it once, but the words hadn't come. Finally, he'd just settled on saying her _presence_ was enough. As long as she didn't have to play therapist, she was happy (she'd made a lot of jokes that they should see if someone offered a two-for-one therapy special; Ward just said couples therapy wasn't what they needed).

"Skye," murmured Ward, gripping her tighter for a moment.

She slipped her hand into his hair in response, stroking it softly. "I'm here." It was a reassurance she would whisper over and over to him until he finally calmed completely down.

It was impossible to say how long they'd been like that when Ward finally lifted his head and pulled back to stand. Her legs were asleep and her knees protested when she tried to stand on them, nearly sending her pitching forward when she did finally manage to get her feet under her. Ward's arms curled around her almost immediately, steadying her and holding her close. When her legs finally felt stable, she took his hands and lead him back to the couch.

Trip, Gabe, and Stevie were gone, as was Bud. A glance at the clock in the room though told Skye they were probably eating. Just the thought of food had Skye's stomach rumbling. She'd been so worried about Ward all day, that eating had never crossed her mind. She wasn't even sure Ward had eaten today, which couldn't be good for a sick man. "Grant, did you eat at all today?"

"Fitz brought soup earlier," stated Ward, shrugging his shoulders a bit. The thermometer was still sitting on the table and Skye didn't hesitate to push him onto the couch and grab it to check his temperature. "He said I had to eat if I was going to take anything for my fever."

"When was that?" asked Skye curiously. It had to have been in the three hours she wasn't with him, but that wasn't really a surprise. Fitz thought about things like food when it came to everyone else, which was good because they all forgot sometimes.

"Noon?" suggested Ward, brow furrowing as he tried to remember the time. "I think it was about noon."

_More recently than I ate,_ thought Skye with a shake of her head. She really, really needed to get something in her stomach soon. But first she really needed to take Ward's temperature and possibly get him back to bed.

Lifting the thermometer, she carefully slid it into his ear, making sure he could see her the whole time. He never flinched once, just reached out to rest his hands on her hips as she leaned over him, drawing her into his lap. It was one of those things he tended to do if she was nearby: if his hands weren't busy, they were resting on her hips or holding her hand. He always seemed to crave some kind of physical contact with her, anything he could manage that wasn't inappropriate or likely to give Coulson a coronary (which was pretty much everything, so it only stopped him from touching her too intimately or kissing her in front of their boss).

"Comfortable?" teased Skye softly, even as she shifted in his lap to try to keep her weight off his body. He didn't need her using him as a piece of furniture on top of him feeling sick.

"Mm," hummed Ward in response. "I have you in my lap, how could I be anything but comfortable?"

"You also still have a fever over 100," announced Skye with a shake of her head as she finally pulled the thermometer away. It was 100.7, which was pretty good. Then again, it was probably all the med's doing. "I doubt that's comfortable."

"I feel better than I did earlier," murmured Ward, drawing her down against his body. The move pressed their chests together and caused Skye's hands to fall on his shoulders. However, instead of kissing her like he normally would, Ward buried his face against her throat and inhaled softly.

"Grant?" asked Skye gently, slipping one of her hands up into his hair. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," sighed Ward, though there was a sad tone to his voice. "I was just thinking."

"About?" she prompted softly, fingers brushing against the strands along his neck. The motion was almost guaranteed to calm him unless he was in a full blown panic attack.

His head relaxed into her shoulder with every pass, arms settling around her waist to draw her closer. She could feel the pause in his whole body though- from the way his muscles minutely tightened to the slightly elevated beat of his heart. Whatever he was thinking about, he was reluctant to tell her about it. There were still a few things he didn't like to discuss and she knew that. She also didn't push those particular matters- making him feel violated was never something she ever wanted to be responsible for.

She was about to tell him that he didn't have to say anything when he started to speak. His words were so quiet, she could just barely hear him. "I was thinking about my sister. She- she was the one who tried to take care of me when I got sick. It wasn't often- I made sure of that- but when I was sick, she would wipe my head like you were earlier and try to figure out how to take my temperature. She was the only person who took care of me when I got sick until you, Skye."

"Us," corrected Skye gently. "It's not just me, Grant. It's Trip and Simmons and Fitz, too. Even Coulson was worried. I'm pretty sure he checked on you more than once while I was working."

When Ward lifted his head a few seconds after Skye finished speaking, the gratitude on his face was palpable. "Yeah, the others helped, but you're the one who's stayed with me pretty much the whole day, Skye. You haven't left me alone except for when you've had to, and I'm grateful for that. For everyone, but mostly for you."

"Grant," murmured Skye, sliding the hand at his neck up to cup his cheek. She leaned in slowly, lips pressing gently against his. Nothing forceful or hungry or passionate, just her lips pressed to his in a soft kiss that spoke volumes all the same: I love you; I'm here for you; you aren't alone.

His hands slid up to cradle the back of her head in response, but he never pushed or tried to change things. All he did was relax into the couch, pulling her body with him as he gladly returned the sentiment with ones of his own: I know you're here and I'm here for you, too; I'm yours; I love you, too. It was a relief and Skye let it go on for a minute before pulling carefully back. Ward didn't try to follow her back, just pulled her back into his arms to hold her.

The moment was broken when Skye's stomach let out a rather loud and obnoxious noise.

Leaning back, Ward looked up at her worriedly. "Skye, have you eaten anything today?"

"No," admitted Skye. She wasn't about to tell him that between worrying about him and doing what Coulson needed her to, she'd had no time. "I was going to ask if you were hungry, too. I could make us something if you were. Pancakes, maybe?"

"You do make good pancakes," agreed Ward, smiling slightly. "Food definitely sounds good."

"Sounds like a plan then," stated Skye with a grin as she climbed off Ward's lap. His hands remained on her waist until she was standing, resting on the curve of her hips a moment longer before he removed his hands to push himself up. Skye stepped back as he did so he'd have room to stand, then she took his hand and gladly lead him from the rec room.

They ended up taking the pancakes back to bed because Ward felt bad being in the kitchen while he was sick. Skye tried to explain that everyone was already exposed anyway, but she couldn't assuage his guilt enough to convince him to stay in there to eat. So they ended up back in her bed, curled together as they ate pancakes and watched the second Air Bud movie on Skye's computer.

Bud wandered in about halfway though and flopped on the floor beside the bed. Zena followed him in a short time later, curling herself into his side. If Zena was there, Fitz had to be napping or otherwise well occupied in a capacity the female dog was sure he wouldn't get hurt. It made Skye smile as she watched the two dogs curl together, with Bud's nose besides Zena's and her body pressed along his. The whole thing looked like something out of a Disney movie.

"I wonder why they don't sleep together," stated Skye suddenly, drawing Ward's attention away from the movie.

He paused it even though he knew the series by heart at this point, turning all of his attention onto her. "Are you speculating about Trip and Simmons again? Because they've been sleeping together for almost a month now, so your question is kind of out dated."

"No, I was talking about Zena and Bud," stated Skye in shock, twisting her head to look back at Ward. "What do you mean Jemma and Trip have been sleeping together for almost a month. How do you know?"

"Because I asked Trip," replied Ward with a bit of a smirk, drawing her close. "Plus I heard him in Simmons' room one night and it was too late for him to be in there for any other reason. Now what about Zena and Bud?"

"Wait, no, you don't get to change the subject," countered Skye, indignation rising in her chest. Why wouldn't Simmons tell her that she was nailing the tall, sexy specialist?

"Maybe because they haven't told anyone?" suggested Ward with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sure Fitz knows right now. I only do because, like I said, I heard them one night. Trip didn't really have any grounds to deny it."

"So, it's a secret," stated Skye, nodding slowly. Okay, she could see that. Predicting how Fitz would react to the news his best friend was sleeping with Trip was...pretty much impossible.

"Yes," confirmed Ward softly, shifting around so his chest was pressed to her back. "So, what were you saying about Zena and Bud?"

"I was asking why they didn't sleep together," replied Skye, filing the information about Simmons and Trip away for now. She could deal with that when Ward was better. And maybe after Simmons had a chance to tell Fitz. "When she's not with Fitz, Zena comes to find Bud and we know they had puppies together, so why don't they insist on sleeping together?"

"They do," stated Ward with a shrug, his eyes falling to the two dogs. "Half the time when I go looking for Bud during the day, he's curled up somewhere with Zena."

"Really?" asked Skye curiously, glancing back at her former SO in surprise.

"Mhm," stated Ward, nodding as he set his plate aside and drew her against his chest with a yawn. "Sometimes I'll even wake up in the morning and I'll find Bud in Fitz's room or Zena in here or both of them in the rec room."

Skye nodded slowly. That explained why Bud wasn't in the room sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the night. "Do you think they get the same thing from being near each other that we do?"

"Safety, love, and comfort?" asked Ward as he drew her the rest of the way back so they were laying down. His eyes were beginning to droop again, the hand wrapped around her waist curled against her hip. "Why wouldn't they?"

Skye wasn't about to admit she doubted the two dogs felt those same emotions because they were dogs; saying that to someone like Ward, who's best friend for five years had been a dog, was like slapping him in the face. It made sense though when she thought about it. After all, if people could feel all those things when they were together, why couldn't two dogs?

"No reason," replied Skye at last as she let Ward draw her close. "Just thinking. Getting tired again?"

"Yeah," confirmed Ward with a yawn. "I think the fever meds are wearing off."

"Maybe," agreed Skye, reaching for the thermometer. "Can I take your temperature again?"

"Mhm," hummed Ward as his eyes slid shut. "Do whatever you have to do. Just don't get up, okay?"

"I have to get up if you need more meds," pointed out Skye with a chuckle. She had to admit, when she wasn't worrying about him, sick Ward was kind of adorable. Pressing the thermometer into his ear, she waited the required ten seconds before withdrawing the device and checking the number. 101.2. He was right about the medication wearing off. "Your fever is rising again."

Ward let out an unhappy whining noise and drew her closer. "So you have to get up?"

"Or I can try texting Trip and asking him to bring the meds," suggested Skye as she put the thermometer on the nightstand and picked up her cellphone. Honestly, the idea of leaving Ward alone right now didn't sit well with her anyway. "I'm sure he will."

"Yeah," agreed Ward, yawning as he curled up against her back. "Can I take a nap?"

"Whatever you want to do," assured Skye gently, one of her hands reaching back to find his as she typed out her message with her other hand. "We can do whatever you want, Grant."

"Nap," murmured Ward softly, his voice already thick with the telltale signs of sleep.

"Nap it is then," agreed Skye, settling into the bed as she felt Ward drift off. Closing her eyes, she drifted off as well, focusing on the soft breath ruffling against her nape and the arm currently curled gently around her waist.

They ended up napping for the rest of the day, only waking up intermittently when Skye would check Ward's temperature or Ward would have a bad dream and wake. His fever never got above 101.5 again though, so they held off on the medication. Simmons had advised Trip that the fever should be allowed to do its job so long as it wasn't high or serious. And by the time night rolled around, Ward's fever was dropping steadily on its own.

That didn't stop them from staying in bed for the rest of the night though, except when Skye woke up in the middle of the night, burning up and in need of some cold water and a few fever meds herself.


End file.
